Lenten Thoughts - Class Struggle

Lenten Thoughts ...


1) The story of Jesus is always the story of The People in conflict with the Ruling Class ...

2) The gospel offered by Jesus (see Beatitudes) must have scared the be-jesus (so to speak) out of the Ruling Class, both Roman and Judean.

3) The big question became: How do we get rid of him without further upsetting the people whom we're slowly crushing while we continue to live our lives of ease? 

4) As Jesus' popularity grew (how the people loved him when he tweaked the noses of the Ruling Class), the "central powers" of Rome and Judea grew evermore concerned ...

5) And we know the rest of the story ... the Ruling Class manipulated the crowds and the judicial process ... and to mollify the crowds, threw Barabbas into the deal, a revolutionary of some sort.

6) A story as old as Cain and Able ... and the descendants of Cain and Seth.

State-Sanctioned Killing

Roman execution methods achieved their ultimate expression in crucifixion - a long, slow, painful, death, in public, to intimidate the population (never really worked all that well, as Rome constantly dealt with rebellion). Rome loved to kill people, and killed them by the thousands - and why? Because they could.

And just because they could, they did.

There is something terribly wrong with state-sponsored executions. And what happened in Oklahoma is a terrible example of state-sanctioned killing.

America doesn't need capital punishment. It corrupts our spirit, and what about those who are called upon to kill? What about them and their families. Can we dress it up and make it more acceptable because the state is doing it? Does legal sanction make killing anything more than just plain killing? Finally, what is the difference between a criminal who kills and the state that kills?

Does it bring back to life the one who was murdered by the criminal now executed? Does it heal the victim's family? Does it make anything better?

I suppose some might satisfy themselves with the murderer's death. Perhaps I would, too.

But this much I know, it's all blood-lust! And terribly cold-hearted.

I don't know what I do, or want, or feel, if someone killed one of my family members. I have to be honest - I don't know.

I would hope that I could find the grace practiced by the Amish and others who eschew such vengeance. The nations of Europe have found ways to cut crime and punish the murderer without a death penalty.

I think we can do the same here in America. America the Beautiful we sing. I want to keep my nation beautiful, and be done with the stain of state-sanctioned killing.

Islamic Progress

20 British Muslims protested in front of the Sudanese Embassy in London demanding the immediate release of Gillian Gibbons.

Not many, but a good beginning.

A contrast to the Sudanese fundamentalists n Khartoum who called for her execution.

Somewhere along the line, Islam has to create a climate wherein Muslims can raise serious questions about the historicity of the Koran and all the other related intellectual issues that have driven much of Judaism and Christianity in the last 200 years.

Christianity and Judaism have their own brands of fundamentalists, and interestingly enough, these fundamentalist movements all generate violence - from attacking Palestinians to bombing abortion clinics.

Jesus raised serious questions about the Roman Empire, but firmly eschewed all forms of violence.

Violence begets violence, as the United States learns again and again, and its true for religons as well.

Fundamentalists forget that the best weapon with the greatest influence over the long haul of history is still the pen.